On November 5, 2019, Switzerland amended its 2017 Ordinance on food contact materials (Ordinance of the Federal Department of Home Affairs on materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, RS 817.023.21, FPF reported) to better align with some of the EU FCM regulations, including the Regulation (EC) 1895/2005 on epoxy derivatives, as well as several amendments to Regulation (EU) 10/2011 on food contact plastics and Regulation (EU) 2018/213 on bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) in food contact varnishes and coatings (FPF reported).
The international testing company SGS summarized the main amendments in an article published on November 29, 2019. Among others, these include several changes in the positive list provided in the Annex 10 for food contact printing inks; changes in guidelines for food simulant selection; changes in certain migration conditions; and new specifications for compliance verification procedures. The new Annex 13 outlines “special requirements for varnishes and coatings.” These prohibit Novolac glycidyl ethers (NOGE) and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-methane bis (2,3-epoxypropyl) ether (BFDGE, CAS 29817-09-9) and establish specific migration limits for several derivatives of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl propane bis(2,3-epoxy(propyl) ether (BADGE, CAS 1675-54-3). Further, specific migration limit for BPA migration from varnished and coated FCMs is set at 0.05 mg/kg, and “BPA migration [is] prohibited for food contact varnished or coated materials and articles for young children” for several food categories.
The changes became effective on December 1, 2019.
Read more
SafeGuardS (November 29, 2019). “Switzerland strengthens ordinance on food contact materials and articles.”
Chemical Watch (January 16, 2019). “Switzerland updates law on food contact materials.”
